Dispensing closure



July 9, 1963 o. c. TAYLOR DISPENSING CLOSURE Filed Feb. 17. 1961 FIG. I

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

y OLIN C.TAYLOR M PM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,06,915 DISPENSING CLOSURE Olin C. Taylor, (Ileveland, Miss, assignor to Baxter Laboratories, Inc. Filed Feb. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 90,124 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-495) The present invention relates to a dispensing closure for collapsible tubes, particularly one adapted to dispense a measured amount of the contents of such a tube.

Collapsible tubes such as those made of metal foil, plastic and the like, are widely used for dispensing the wide variety of fluid compositions. In many instances, as for example, when the contents are toothpaste or shaving cream, it is desirable to dispense a measured amount of the contents of such a tube repeatedly. In the past it has not been possible to accomplish this result in a simple economical manner.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple and improved closure for dispensing the fluid contents of a collapsible tube in measured amounts.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved dispensing closure which can be manufactured relatively inexpensively so that it can be utilized once and then discarded.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein various structures embodying the present invention are disclosed.

Referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, FIGURE I is a side elevation showing a dispensing closure and a collapsible tube embodying this invention. FIGURE II is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a preferred form of construction of the dispensing nozzle. FIGURE III is a sectional view on line 3-3 of FIGURE II. FIGURE IV is a detached perspective view of the valve shown in FIGURES II and III.

Referring to FIGURES I and II of the drawings, a simple flexible container is generally indicated as 5. Such a container generally comprises a length of flexible tubing 6, sealed at one end 7 and having on its other end 8 attached to a suitable endclosure 9. The endclosure 9 terminates in a threaded neck 10, having a central aperture.

To enable the contents of the collapsible container to be suitably dispensed, a dispensing closure 12 with a hub 13 is provided having an interior neck 14 adapted to be screwed upon the threaded neck of the container 5.

To provide for an application of the fluid contents in a measured amount from the container 5, the nozzle 15 is provided upon hub 13. In that form of the invent-ion shown in FIGURES II, III and IV, the nozzle 15 is wedge-shaped and includes a corresponding wedge-shape passage 16 therein leading from the hub through the nozzle. The passage 16 contains therein a generally Wedge-shaped valve 17. In FIGURES II and IV the valve 17 is seen to have an elongated tongue 18. In FIG- URES III and IV the pair of laterally extending flanges 19 along the valve base can be seen. The flanges 19 are adapted to fit into the grooves 20 of the passage 16 (seen only in FIGURE III) in such a manner as to allow for horizontal movement of the valve within the passage while preventing vertical movement of said valve.

In use the container 5 is grasped and gently squeezed to force the fluid contents out of the container and into the nozzle passage 16 where the contents both pass over the top of and press against the acute angularly inclined surface 17a of the valve 17 (as shown by arrows in FIG- URE II). The fluid contents continue to pass over the top of valve 17 and out the open end 21 of the nozzle until the pressure upon the inclined surface 17a of the valve has moved the valve into such relationship with the interior surfaces of the nozzle 15 as to prevent the further flow of the contents. At this point the elongated tongue 18 of the valve will protrude from the opening 21 of the passage 16. It will be readily apparent that because of the nature of the dispensing closure, the tube with the valve in this position may be stored even without a protective cap. If it is desired to obtain another measured amount of the container contents, it is only necessary to press upon the protruding tongue 18 of the valve so as to force the valve back out of closing relationship with the interior surfaces of the nozzle 15 into the passage 16, and to repeat the previously described dispensing operation.

The degree of the variance from the perpendicular of surface 17a required to result in the dispensing of a given amount of tube contents will obviously vary with the den sity of the tube contents and thus is best determined by trial testing. The degree of variance will need to be much greater, for example, to dispense an amount of a heavy ointment than needed to dispense an equal amount of a light cream.

The entire structure of the dispensing closure may be, of course, made of a suitable plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there has been provided a novel and simple improved dispensing closure for fluid containing collapsible tubes.

The embodiments of the present invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are the followmg:

1. In combination a collapsible container having a screw-threaded end having a central aperture, and a dispensing nozzle for attachment to said screw-threaded end, said dispensing nozzle having a screw-threaded hub at one end thereof and a central passage therethrough, a movable wedge-shaped valve in said passage, said valve being provided with an acutely inclined surface at the end adjacent the screw-threaded hub and an elongated tongue at the other end, and means for restricting the movement of said valve to a single plane, said means comprising a laterally extending flange on said valve and flangereceiving groove in said passage, said flange and groove When engaged cooperating to limit the movement of said valve member to a single plane.

2. In combination a collapsible container having a screw-threaded end having a central aperture, and a dispensing closure for attachment to said end, said closure having a screw-threaded 'hub at one end and a nozzle at the other end, said nozzle having a wedge-shaped inner passage with an inlet and an outlet, said passage being further provided with a flange-receiving longitudinally extending groove, a wedge-shaped valve positioned in said passage, said valve having a laterally extending flange positioned within said groove so as to permit only longiprovided with an acutely inclined surface at the end adjacent the inlet and an elongated tongue-like member at the other end, and means for causing relative movement of said valve toward said outlet.

3. A device of the character described comprising a dispensing nozzle for attachment to a collapsible container having a screw-threaded end having a central aperture, said dispensing nozzle 'having a screw-threaded hub at one end thereof and a central passage therethrough, a movable Wedge-shaped valve in said passage, said valve being provided with an acutely inclined surface at the end adjacent the screw-threaded hub and an elongated tongue at the other end, and means for restricting the movement of said valve to a single plane, said means comprising a laterally extending flange on said valve and flange-receiving groove in said passage, said flange and groove when engaged cooperating to limit the movement of said valve member to a single plane.

Holt et al. Nov. 10, 1925 Eisler Dec. 19, 1939 

1. IN COMBINATION A COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER HAVING A SCREW-THREADED END HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE, AND A DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID SCREW-THREADED END, SAID DISPENSING NOZZLE HAVING A SCREW-THREADED HUB AT ONE END THEREOF AND A CENTRAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, A MOVABLE WEDGE-SHAPED VALVE IN SAID PASSAGE, SAID VALVE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ACUTELY INCLINED SURFACE AT THE END ADJACENT THE SCREW-THREADED HUB AND AN ELONGATED TONGUE AT THE OTHER END, AND MEANS FOR RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE TO A SINGLE PLANE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A LATERALLY EXTENDING FLANGE ON SAID VALVE AND FLANGERECEIVING GROOVE IN SAID PASSAGE, SAID FLANGE AND GROOVE WHEN ENGAGED COOPERATING TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER TO A SINGLE PLANE. 